West Coast General Hospital in Port Alberni is hosting a community open house today, May 12, 2026, focused on Indigenous health. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is open to all residents interested in learning about culturally relevant healthcare services in the region.
The hospital has worked to improve cultural safety for patients through several initiatives, most notably the All Nations Room, which opened in October 2019. This space was created through a collaboration between Island Health, the First Nations Health Authority, the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council, and representatives from the Tseshaht, Hupacasath, Uchucklesaht, Ditidaht, and Huu-ay-aht First Nations to provide a welcoming environment for traditional healing practices.
Recent developments at the hospital include a $6.95 million expansion of the emergency department, which was completed in November 2023. This project featured contributions from the provincial government, Island Health, the West Coast General Hospital Foundation, and the Alberni-Clayoquot Regional Hospital District. To mark the expansion, a new art installation by Tseshaht master carver Gordon Dick was recently unveiled on the exterior of the building.
These efforts follow a period of instability for the facility, including the temporary closure of the hospital’s three-bed intensive care unit in November 2025 due to a physician staffing shortage. At the time, the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council expressed significant frustration regarding the lack of communication from health authorities and called for greater accountability.
Looking ahead, health services in the community are set to expand with the planned 2027 opening of an Indigenous Community Health Centre. Developed in partnership with the Port Alberni Friendship Center, the Port Alberni Primary Care Network, Island Health, and the provincial government, the new centre will provide primary care services in an uptown location.
